'You have a problem': CNN historian says Trump can only blame himself for 'explosive' racism debate

Presidential historian and CNN political analyst Julian Zelizer said on Sunday that President Donald Trump's long series of racially charged statements have left him on the back foot with critics and shows just how degraded his White House's messaging has become.

Zelizer -- who published an essay Sunday about President Barack Obama's message for Trump -- also said that he worries about the long-term damage Trump is doing to the institution of the presidency.

"Once you have that kind of debate going on, once a president has to answer this kind of question, you already have a problem," Zelizer told anchor Ana Cabrera. "And this comes out of a long line of comments and incidents we've seen."

Trump's long history of discrimination issues dating back to long before he ever ran for president are exactly what makes this conversation "so explosive," said Zelizer.

Watch the video, embedded below: